Sushi chef Yang Yong Long does not serve up your typical sushi meal at his Taipei restaurant Sasa Sushi. The Taiwanese is outstanding not just for his precise technique when it comes to treating delicate seafood, but also the way he designs his meal. The space might be traditional-looking, but there is a lot more than meets the eye. “He has his own way,” proclaims Chiang, who has been visiting Sasa since it opened in 2010. “He is like a boxer. With his meal, he isn’t just sending out straight punches, but he will jab and hook and pull back and go forward. He might serve one or two pieces of sushi and then present you with a little skewer of vegetable, and then another two or three pieces of sushi followed by a kushiyaki item. He plays with temperature.

He plays with a contrast of flavours and textures so that each course hits different areas of the palate. A meal here is not something you get at a traditional Japanese restaurant, and I will say that the best sushi I’ve had – counting those tasted in Japan – is by him.”

For a full list of Andre Chiang’s top eats around the world, download The Peak Selections: Gourmet & Travel here.